"local rivals Tottenham Hotspur when football resumed after the First World War. Since that time, they have not fallen below the first tier of the English football league system and hold the record for the longest uninterrupted period in the top flight. The club remained in the Football League until 1992, when its First Division was superseded as English football's top level by the newly formed Premier League, of which they were an inaugural member. In 2003–04, Arsenal completed a league season without a single defeat, something achieved only once before in English football, by Preston North End in 1888–89."
"Six of them have won the title since then: Manchester United (13), Chelsea (5), Arsenal (3), Manchester City (3), Blackburn Rovers (1), and Leicester City (1). Following the 2003–04 season, Arsenal acquired the nickname ""The Invincibles"" as they became, and still remain, the only club to complete a Premier League campaign without losing a single game. The record of most points in a Premier League season is 100 by Manchester City in 2017–18. Despite significant European success in the 1970s and early 1980s, the late 1980s marked a low point for English football. Stadiums were crumbling, supporters endured poor facilities,"
"over multiple seasons was Sparta Prague's run of at least 51 wins in a row, between 1920 and 1923. Teams finishing a season unbeaten (i.e. having won or drawn every match) are more common. Arsenal in the 2003–04 English Premier League season, finished with no losses from 38 games over 100 years after Preston North End unbeaten streak in 22 league games and all of its FA Cup games in 1888–89. At the same time, AFC Wimbledon finished with a record of 42 wins, 4 draws and 0 defeats out of 46 games in their Combined Counties League Premier Division"
"the ""Big Four"" always qualifying for European competition. Arsenal went as far as winning the league without losing a single game in 2003–04, the only time it has ever happened in the Premier League. During the 2000s, only four sides outside the ""Top Four"" managed to qualify for the Champions League: Leeds United (1999–2000), Newcastle United (2001–02 and 2002–03), Everton (2004–05) and Tottenham Hotspur (2009–10) – each occupying the final Champions League spot, with the exception of Newcastle in the 2002–03 season, who finished third. In May 2008 Kevin Keegan stated that ""Top Four"" dominance threatened the division, ""This league"
"four seasons have held a ""big four"" dominance with Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United. Aston Villa, meanwhile, are left with no hope of Champions League qualification after they are defeated 3–1 by a Manchester City side still in the hunt for a place in the top four. In League One, Leeds United remain in second place and needing a win from their final match of the season to guarantee automatic promotion, despite losing 1–0 to a Charlton Athletic side who still have hope of automatic promotion thanks to this win. Millwall blow the chance of creeping into the top two"
"1921, it was played by the league champions of the top division and FA Cup winners for the first time. Wembley Stadium acted as the host of the Shield from 1974. Cardiff's Millennium Stadium was hosting the Shield for the fourth time; it took over as the venue for the event while Wembley Stadium underwent a six-year renovation between 2001 and 2006. Arsenal qualified for the 2004 FA Community Shield as winners of the Premier League. They finished their league campaign without a single defeat and earned the nickname ""The Invincibles"", akin to the Preston North End team that went"
"games played, their league record stood at 26 wins, 12 draws and 0 losses. The unbeaten run came close to ending six matches into the campaign against Manchester United, as striker Ruud van Nistelrooy missed a penalty in injury time; the match then ended 0–0. At the turn of the calendar year, Arsenal won nine league matches in a row to consolidate first position; they secured their status as champions with a draw against local rivals Tottenham Hotspur in April 2004. Their form did not continue into the domestic cups; Arsenal exited the semi-final stage of the Football League Cup"
"Champions League debut in the first leg of the team's 3–2 knockout round victory over Spanish club Celta de Vigo. Clichy finished the campaign appearing in seven more matches. On 9 May 2004, he appeared as a substitute in Arsenal's 1–0 league win over Fulham. A week later, Clichy appeared on the bench in the team's final league match of the season; a 2–1 win over Leicester City. The victory assured Arsenal an undefeated league season, which resulted in the club becoming the second first division team in English football history to finish a league season unbeaten. As a result"
"Division One season has given them an English league record of 105 points this season. They will be joined in the elite next season by Bradford City, whose second-place finish has given them top flight football for the first time since 1922. Ipswich Town, Birmingham City, Watford and Bolton Wanderers will contest the playoffs. Meanwhile, Manchester United go back on top of the Premier League with a 1–0 win at Middlesbrough. 11 May 1999 – Arsenal lose their penultimate league game of the season 1–0 at Leeds United, losing their chance to go top of the Premier League – meaning"
"2003–04 in English football The 2003–04 season was the 124th season of association football in England. Arsenal completed the season without losing a league match, becoming champions of the Premiership in the process. Leeds United avoided going into administration, but were unable to avoid relegation and lost their place in the Premiership - along with Leicester City and Wolverhampton Wanderers. Norwich City won promotion to the Premiership as Champions after nine years in Division 1. They were joined by runners-up West Bromwich Albion and Crystal Palace, who beat West Ham United in the play-off final. Wimbledon completed their relocation to"
"Chelsea on 21 February 2004; Arsenal afterwards opened up a seven-point gap at the top of the league. Two months later, Vieira scored the opening goal away to Tottenham Hotspur, in what ended a 2–2 draw – enough for Arsenal to regain the title. Against Leicester City in the final league match of the campaign, with the score tied at 1–1, Dennis Bergkamp set up Vieira with a pass, to which he rounded the goalkeeper and scored. Arsenal ended the campaign as league champions without a single defeat – a record of 26 wins and 12 draws. The re-election of"
"unsuccessful in cup competitions, their dominance in the league was regarded by many commentators as a standalone achievement. They acquired the nickname ""The Invincibles"", much like the Preston North End team that went unbeaten in the inaugural Football League season. The club was awarded a golden replica trophy by the Premier League once the season concluded and they remained unbeaten for 49 games, setting a new record. In 2012, the Arsenal team of 2003–04 won the ""Best Team"" category in the Premier League 20 Seasons Awards. Arsenal had finished the previous season as runners-up in the Premier League, overhauled by"
"an Arsenal side who are also unbeaten. Sheffield United are still looking for their first league win of the season after 14 games, while Derby County have climbed out of the relegation zone at the expense of Queens Park Rangers. In the Second Division, West Ham United have taken over from Oldham Athletic as Second Division leaders, while Sheffield Wednesday occupy third place. The playoff zone is occupied by Middlesbrough, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Millwall and Notts County. Newly promoted Bristol Rovers stand just two points outside the playoff zone in 10th place, sparking hopes that manager Gerry Francis could soon deliver"
"held by Burnley in 1920/21. The record stood until surpassed by Arsenal in August 2004, a month before Clough's death. Arsenal played 49 league games without defeat. In February 1979, Taylor authorised the English game's first £1 million transfer signing Trevor Francis from Birmingham City. In the European Cup semi-final first leg at home against 1. FC Köln, Forest were two goals behind after 20 minutes,then scored three to edge ahead before Köln equalised to start the German second leg ahead on the away goals rule. Ian Bowyer's goal in Germany put Forest through. Günter Netzer asked afterwards, ""Who is"
"penalty in a final at Wembley, denying Tottenham's Gary Lineker. Tottenham won the match 2–1 after extra time. In 1889, Preston North End became the first club to achieve the double of winning the FA Cup (beating Wolverhampton Wanderers 3–0) and the Football League in the same season. This double was even more extraordinary in that the league was won without a single defeat, a feat which would not be repeated in the top division until 2003–04, by Arsenal. Equally impressive was that the cup was won without conceding a single goal. Such was the team's dominance that it was"
"the Premier League more than a decade after being relegated. At the same time, the country's richest clubs continued to grow, with the wages of top players increasing further. Manchester United's outstanding success continued until the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson as manager in 2013. Arsenal won a third Double in 2002 and clinched the title in 2004 without losing a single league game all season. In 2003 and 2005, when they missed out on the title, they had the FA Cup as compensation. United still managed to win another FA Cup in 2004 and the League Cup in 2006,"
"a single defeat – an accomplishment last achieved by Preston North End 115 years before, in the Football League. ""Somebody threw me a T-shirt after the trophy was presented which read 'Comical Wenger says we can go the whole season unbeaten.' I was just a season too early!,"" he remarked during the club's victory parade. Arsenal's run of 49 league games unbeaten came to an end with a 2–0 defeat at Manchester United on 24 October 2004. The team under Wenger's management enjoyed another relatively strong league campaign in 2004–05, but finished second to Chelsea, who ended the season 12"
"season. In Belgium, From 1933 to 1935 Royale Union Saint-Gilloise played 60 consecutive matches undefeated, setting a still unbeaten record in Belgium. In Italy, Perugia (1978–79), A.C. Milan (1991–92), and Juventus F.C. (2011–12) have been undefeated. In Turkish soccer, Galatasaray in the 1985–86 season completed the season unbeaten but finished as runners-up, although having the same points as Beşiktaş J.K., who won, but had an inferior goal difference to their rival. Beşiktaş J.K. in 1991–92 completed the season unbeaten and became Turkish League's only ever champions without defeat. In Portugal, Benfica (1972–73) was the first club to do so and"
"of English Football at the same time, forming 40% of the First Division that season. Fulham were founded in 1879 and are London's oldest club still playing professionally. Royal Arsenal were London's first team to turn professional in 1891. They became Woolwich Arsenal in 1893, and then became just Arsenal in 1913. They are London's most successful team with 43 honours. Arsenal are only the second English club (after Preston North End of 1888–89), and the only London club to go an entire League season unbeaten, in the 2003–04 season. Arsenal have won The FA Cup a record 13 times;"
"hand, and are eight points clear of third-placed Tottenham Hotspur. Derby County have overhauled Portsmouth at the top of the Second Division, while Oldham Athletic are the only other team still able to achieve automatic promotion. 4 May 1987 – Everton are confirmed champions of the First Division after beating Norwich City 1–0. Aston Villa are relegated from the First Division just six years after being champions, and five years after winning the European Cup. Oxford United, Charlton Athletic, Leicester City and Manchester City are battling to avoid the remaining two automatic relegation places, and the relegation play-off place. 9"
"against Everton in November 2004 and never relinquished their lead, losing only one league game all season and winning a record 29, gaining a record 95 points in the process. A record-breaking defence, led by captain John Terry and his new partnership with Ricardo Carvalho, the versatile William Gallas, fullback Paulo Ferreira, midfield linchpin Claude Makélélé and goalkeeper Petr Čech, provided the backbone of the side, conceding just 15 goals all season and keeping 25 clean sheets while Čech went a Premier League-record 1,025 minutes without conceding a goal. Chelsea eventually secured the title with a 2–0 away win at"
"of the Football League in 1888, the final has never been contested by two teams from outside the top division, and there have only been eight winners who were not in the top flight: Notts County (1894); Tottenham Hotspur (1901); Wolverhampton Wanderers (1908); Barnsley (1912); West Bromwich Albion (1931); Sunderland (1973), Southampton (1976) and West Ham United (1980). With the exception of Tottenham, these clubs were all playing in the second tier (the old Second Division) – Tottenham were playing in the Southern League and were only elected to the Football League in 1908, meaning they are the only non-League"
"decade, with only nine teams managing to stay in the league for the full ten seasons – Arsenal, Aston Villa, Chelsea, Everton, Leeds United, Liverpool, Manchester United, Southampton and Tottenham Hotspur. In that time, only three teams ever won the League title: Manchester United (seven), Arsenal (twice) and Blackburn Rovers (once). Manchester United were also the most successful team overall, only finishing outside of the top-two positions once. (See also:#First decade finishing positions by season) According to the League's chief executive Richard Scudamore, this first decade was a period which saw 113 million fans go to Premier League football matches"
"2003–04 FA Premier League The 2003–04 FA Premier League (known as the FA Barclaycard Premiership for sponsorship reasons) was the 12th season of the Premier League. Arsenal were the champions and Chelsea, who had spent heavily throughout the season, were the runners up. Arsenal ended the season without a single defeat – the first team ever to do so in a 38-game league season and the second team overall (the first was Preston North End in 1889, 115 years earlier, during a 22-game league season). Having qualified for the Champions' League the previous season, Chelsea were bolstered by a £100"
"in the next three seasons, they vied for domestic honours with Sir Alex Ferguson's Manchester United. Arsenal won their second double in 2001–02, before Manchester United regained the league the following season. In 2003–04, Arsenal won the league without a single defeat – a record of 26 wins and 12 draws. Meetings between Arsenal and Manchester United were considered the pinnacle of English football during the 2000s; journalist Paul Wilson wrote in his preview of the October 2004 match: ""Their rivalry is not simply about winning trophies, it is an adornment to the wider game."" The matches were also popular"
"avoid relegation as they are now just two points adrift of safety. 4 April 1983: Tottenham inflict a five-nil thumping on Arsenal, exacting revenge for ""the Gunners"" winning by the same scoreline in manager Keith Burkinshaw's first season at the ""Spurs"" helm. 16 April 1983: Manchester United, FA Cup winners four times, reach the FA Cup final along with Brighton who have never reached the final before. 23 April 1983: Liverpool are now 17 points clear at the top of the First Division, and need just one more point to guarantee the League title. Watford, Manchester United, Aston Villa and"
"by Burnley in 1920/21. The record stood until surpassed by Arsenal in August 2004 a month before Clough's death. Arsenal played 49 league games without defeat. In February 1979 Taylor authorised the English game's first £1 million transfer signing Trevor Francis from Birmingham City. In the April European Cup semi final home first leg against 1. FC Köln Forest were two goals behind after 20 minutes. Forest scored three to edge ahead before Köln equalised to start the German second leg ahead on the away goals rule. Ian Bowyer's goal in Germany put Forest through. Günter Netzer asked afterwards, “Who"
"the season concluded, he left Dortmund. He was replaced by Roman Weidenfeller and Guillaume Warmuz, who had just left Arsenal. Lehmann joined Arsenal on 25 July 2003 replacing the recently departed David Seaman. Arsenal's 2003-04 season was historic. The Gunners finished the 2003–04 FA Premier League season unbeaten, becoming the first English club to accomplish the feat in the modern era and only the second to ever have an unbeaten season in English football's top tier, the only other team to accomplish this feat being Preston North End in the 1888–89 season. Lehmann played every match in Arsenal's unbeaten season,"
"No former National League club has yet reached the Premier League, although five such clubs did compete in the top tier of football prior to the Premier League, in the Football League First Division: Carlisle United, Leyton Orient, Oxford United, Luton Town and Grimsby Town. Except Leyton Orient, all four have since returned to the League, Luton by winning the title and the three others by winning the playoff finals. Additionally Luton and Oxford are the only clubs to have played league matches against each other in all top five tiers of English football. Bradford Park Avenue also played in"
"by eight points at one stage, but their form collapsed late on in the season; they drew 2–2 away to Bolton Wanderers after leading 2–0, and then lost 3–2 at home to Leeds United a week later, which gave United the title. Little did they know it at the time, but the defeat to Leeds would be Arsenal's last in the League for over a year. 2003–04 was a record-breaking season for Arsenal, as they won the Premiership unbeaten (26 wins, 12 draws, 0 defeats), finishing a clear 11 points ahead of second-place Chelsea. They became only the second team"
"and fitness practices, and efficiency with money have defined his reign. Accumulating key players from Wenger's homeland, such as Patrick Vieira and Thierry Henry, Arsenal won a second League and Cup double in 1997–98 and a third in 2001–02. In addition, the club reached the final of the 1999–2000 UEFA Cup, were victorious in the 2003 and 2005 FA Cups, and won the Premier League in 2003–04 without losing a single match, an achievement which earned the side the nickname ""The Invincibles"". This latter feat came within a run of 49 league matches unbeaten from 7 May 2003 to 24"
"unbeaten in the inaugural Football League season. The other Community Shield place went to Manchester United who had defeated Millwall 3–0 in the 2004 FA Cup Final. This was the fifth meeting between the two clubs in the Community Shield; Arsenal had won three of those meetings to Manchester United's two. Meetings between Manchester United and Arsenal were often eventful encounters, as both clubs vied for domestic honours. A goalless draw between the two clubs in September 2003, in which Ruud van Nistelrooy missed a penalty in stoppage time, resulted in an altercation between both teams. Several Arsenal players were"
"feat, in 1997–98 and 2001–02, as well as winning a cup double of the FA Cup and League Cup in 1992–93. Seasons in bold are seasons when the club won a Double of the league and FA Cup, or of the FA Cup and League Cup. The ""2003–04"" season was the only 38-match league season unbeaten in English football history. A special gold version of the Premier League trophy was commissioned and presented to the club the following season. As of 6 August 2017. When the FA Cup was the only national football association competition available to Arsenal, the other"